The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-29
FOREIGN.
Canada Can Direct Operations 80
cruisers Without the Consent
of the Imperial Government
Secretary 6aIfcur's Remarks on the
Irish Criminal Law Bill.
He Gives Statistics in Regard to
Crime In Ireland.
Tennyson Writes Poem In Honor of
the Queens jubilee.

LONDON, March 2s.-In the House Of Com
mons this evening Sir Henry Holland. Colo
NAL Secretary, replying to question, stated
that the Canadian parliament possessed au-
thority to purchase and direct operations of
armed cruisers in Canadian waters without
the consent of the imperial government.
Mr.. w. I'll. Smith, government leader, in
timated that the government had decided to
ask the House to pass the second reading of
the Irish criminal law amendment bill before
the proposing of the usual Easter holiday.)
Cheers and counter-cheers.) The govern
ment, said Mr.. Smith. disayowed any inten-
tion to menace the House but they wished
members to understand that the measure
was vital to order in Ireland, that IL was one
upon which the government staked their ex-
lstence, and was more important than the
holidays.
Balfour, chief secretary for Ireland, then
moved the first reading Of the Irish criminal
law bill. In doing so he referred to the
terms of ParnelPs proposed amendment to
the bill in which the Irish leader claims that
the House should obtain further informa-
tlon about the condition of Ireland. Mr..
Balfour thought the Parnellites were suf-
ficiently informed of the state of their coun-
try and should recognize Irish anarchy as an
artihcer recognizes his own work. The gov
ernment did not rest the case on the statis-
ties Of agrarian crime. They took the view
that the amount Of crime must be eonsid
efed in conjunction with its causes and char
aeter.- The fact Is that at the present moment
there are i5S- persons in Munster, It's in
Cannaught, and 2J1 in Leinster, under po-
lice protection. The law had been set aside
and vacuum had not been flleu BY ordina-
ry law. Here Balfour read number Of
htr n nd fnWfa
showing that the number of persons actually
charged bore no relation to the amount of
crime. Boycotting and intimidation, he
said, were. rampant in that part of the
country most disturbed. The men who gave
THIS testimony were not partisans. par
nellites cries Of dissent.) The paralysis Of
the courts OF the law was an evil necessary
to be specially checked. 1t arose
from. the difficulty of inducing the
inundated witnesses to speak out.
In 755 cases 422 injured parties were so ter
rlhed that they refused to appear. When
the evidence was obtained the iuries de-
elined even in the clearest cases to convict.
Here he adduced a long list of cases in
which Juries had disregarded the evidence
presented, and asked If it was to be won
dered at when the national press pointed
out the Jurymen giving a verdict, and held
them up to public reprobation and secret
vengeance. Tho Sc persons desiring the sep
aration of Ireland were ready to obtain their
AAa
The jury system thus became impracticable.
lParnelite laughter.) The place which the
law ought to fill was occupied by the Nation
al League. Members of the league relied
Dagger, the object Of which was bringing
about of a state OF anarchy by means of as
soclatiOnS. 1t was an absurd traveStry Of
facts, he declared, to say that the league had
any resemblance to trades unions. The in
itial policy of the league was the combina-
tion for plunder Of individuals with destruc-
tion OF the constitution. The speaker then
proceeded to give instances of bOycotting
but was repeatedly interrupted by demands
from Parnellltes for names Of persons boy
cotted. He declined, however, TO give the
names unless the persons were beyond the
reach OF members of the league.
Mr.. Balfour next read extracts from the
United Ireland disclosing the extent Of the
system CT terrorizing: He said the latest
official returns showed S36 persons were boy
cotted under orders from the League. In
many districts tenantry had become value
less because no selling of right was possible
unless sanctioned by the League. No tyr
rany, however cruel, could compare with the
anarchy resulting from the existence of the
League tribunals. Coming to the proposals
OF the bill, he stated the government had
borrowed the provision from the Scotch sys-
tenn giving magistrates power to examine
charged with crime. To meet the difficulty
OF getting verdicts, they proposed to abolish
the jury system altogether, Cheers and
counter cheers.) for certain classes of
crime giving the magistrate jurisdiction with
power to impose the maximum penalty of
six months imprisonment In cases of GRIM
inal conspiracy, boyc0tting, rioting offences
under the Whiteboys' acts, assault ON officers
OF the law, forcible and unlawful possession,
and in cases OF incitement of the foregoing
offences. (Cheers.l The government did
not propose to interfere with the liberty of
the press, but they hoped that by giving
magistrates power Of summary conviction
for melting offences they would be able to
prevent the press sharing in crimes
The bill also gave the government power to
change the venue of trial for graver of
fences. The government felt the difficulty
connected with the abolition of trial by Jury
in Ireland and therefore proposed that the
attorney general of England and Ireland in
fairer trial could be had in England
(CheerS.) When under the same conditions
as in the case Of change in venue in Ire
land the trial should be held in England.
(Cries from Parnellites: What part of
England?') The Irish counsel, he added,
were to be allowed to appear in English
courts (Parnellite laughteD and the State
would provide the necessary funds for the
conveyance of both witnesses and the law
yers Purely political offences, such us
treason, treason felony, and seditious libel,
were excluded from the provisions of the
bill. The crimes triGble in England were
murder. attempt to murder. aggravated
crimes Of violence, and arson. In all cases
the bill applied only to proclaimed districts.
The viceroy would have further power to
proclaim dangerous societies found to be
disturbing the peace, and order and procla-
nation against the society would be sub
mitted to Parliament within seven days otter
its issuance, and If Parliament con-
demned it the proclamation would be
dropped. The. government proposed that
the permanency of the bill should not be
limited to any fixed time. (Cheers) He
concluded by declaring that it was In the
cause of liberty that the government asks
the House to break the yoke under which
Mr.. Dillon followed Mr.. Balfour. He said
this bill would never pass into law. Qrish
cheers.) If he believed the people of Eng
land were capable of sanctioning the meas
seeing the Irish and English shake hands.
The Irish people would be slaves indeed il
they submitted to it. Either he would leave
the country where no Irishnian could live,
unless he lived like slave, or. IL the people
were willing, he would be proud and happy
to lead them in battle. (Cheers.) The meas
uFe could only result in causing increased
and driving the people back
Earl Spencer believing his life to be in dan
ger, had the courage to face the people of
Ireland like man, but small credit was due
to the present government who did not know
the dangers they were facing. (Cries of "Oh
on" and cheers.) More miserable excuses
on which to found coercion had never been
heard. Mr.. Balfour had succeeded In PROV
ing nothing but his own ignorance Of the
country which he sought to govern. The
sooner he quilted the Office the better for
Ireland and for himself. The government
was practically treating the Irishmen like
slaves. They sought to root them out like
vermin. The government offered them the
prospect of a favorable land purchase bill
IL this coercion bill passed neither the land
purchase bill nor any other Irish measure
would live to be accepted at the hands of the
English parliament
LONDON, March 2S.-A conference OF Lib
eral Unonists will be held at the Devon
shire House Thursday to consider the c0er-
cion bill. An exchange of views In the lob
bies on the bill disclosed the fact that sew
eral Of the Unionists disapprove of the
measure, but the mass of the party consider
its provisions not too stringent. Lord Hart
ington and Mr.. Chamberlain will give
support to the whole proposals.
The threatened detection of the Unionists
will probably not exceed ten votes leaving
the government still with potent majority.
The Parnellites held an informal meeting
and united in denouncing what they termed
the atrocious character OF the coercion bill
The measure. they said, concealed under its
provisions powers for the extinction Of the
liberties Of the press, public meetings. free
speeches, and all individual rights. The
Parnellites diregard the threats Of Mr.. Smith
to continue the debate until the second
protraction of the sitting results in
q If r.1K aaal nAfaro IL.